Cloverfield: A Random Review for my own Amusement

Before I cover a premiere, I occasionally get invited to a screening which is very cool because this gives me:

• Somewhere to go for two hours on a week night other than sitting at home, watching reality TV dance shows, and trying to do a split

• A break from a rigorous day of screenwriting (sometimes known as perusing the gossip sites and checking the number of views on my You Tube page)

•  Bragging rights to friends who have grown-up jobs with paid vacations, vehicles with functional window controls, and chairs in their apartments not made from piled shoe boxes and padded bras.

Anyway, there I am, sitting in the theater, watching the latest JJ Abrams creation, Cloverfield. I know, you’re thinking, now that’s a weird match. Angela and a movie NOT based on a book that was written by/inspired by/re-imagined-as-if-were- possibly- conceived-by Jane Austen? But, hey, this is Hollywood where odd pairings are de rigueur. And, every once-in-a-while I expand my artistic horizons by experiencing genres other than “romantic comedy” or “shirtless Mark Wahlberg”.

During the film, I kept waiting for an actual clover field to show up, or at least some metaphoric reference to the title. But, that’s not what happened. There was not a single trifoliolate leaved little plant (Thank you, dictionary.com.). But there was a massive, angry creature that terrorized Manhattan and 5 young residents who document the attack on a personal camcorder. That’s the film’s premise. I later found out that Cloverfield was the secret name given to the project. It was never intended to be the title – but it stuck. My verdict? Cloverfield is really good. I liked it. But, there are some things you should know. If you’re OK with amusement park rides and don’t have an eating disorder which requires ipecac, (It’s 84 – minutes of hand-held camera work, complete with jostling, running, and jumping.), this is an entertaining personal-documentary style approach to fun-scary storytelling. I feel cooler and hipper for having watched it. True that! Note to anyone over the age of 27: IT’S VERY LOUD! I suggest you swing by Walgreen’s afterwards and pick up a hearing aid device or one of those old fashioned ear-horns. It takes a few hours before you stop yelling at people (or longer if you’re just really mean). And that, friends, concludes my unofficial movie review; a very enthusiastic two heels up!